REVIEW: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)

Author: Cassandra Clare Website Twitter Facebook

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: March 19, 2013

Pages: 570 (it’s a hefty one)

Buy It! amazon

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

First Thoughts: Great ending to a great series! I’m actually kind of sad that it’s over because I’ve loved these characters more and more with each book. Heartbreaking, action-packed, and thrilling up until the very end!

I’m going to try not to give too much away for those who haven’t finished this series yet (add all three books to your TBR pile right now), but what a beautifully perfect ending to this trilogy. I know that the “it” factor in YA fiction right now is love triangles (kind of getting overdone), however, all authors should take note of the way Cassandra Clare wrote hers. Yes, Tessa loves both Will and Jem, and yes, Tessa can’t be with both, and yet, it’s not a fight for her love. Instead, we see love between all three characters. It’s as if one can’t exist without the other two. Their relationships are heartbreaking and yet so wonderful at the same time. They kind of made my heart swoon a bit.

Now boys, I’m sure you’re thinking “Romance? No thanks!”, but don’t let my swooning heart fool you; this book is extremely action-packed. The fight between the Shadowhunters and Mortmain comes to a seriously climactic ending in this series-closer. This is a hefty book, and yet, there is not one dull moment. I finished late into the night (2am-ish), because I just couldn’t put it down. Clare’s writing and pace makes the story fly by, almost sadly so, since it’s the end. As a reader, I was constantly on my toes, never knowing what to expect - I love books that do that (well, who doesn’t?). The automatons, the demons, the Silent Brothers - so other-worldly, and yet I can picture them perfectly. I’ve never fully understood steampunk, but apparently this is it. So, I guess I’m a fan. Who knew? I’ll say it again: I really want to be a Shadowhunter, besides the fact that I’m extremely weak and pathetic and would get my butt kicked all the time.

I’m not really sure how to convey my love for this series, so I will end with my favorite quote from the book - the truth in it, even with the heartbreak, still gives me goosebumps:

“There are some things worst than death.

Not to be loved or not to be able to love.”

Final Thoughts: Definitely a top read of the summer, probably of the year, and will be a prominent recommendation to readers of all kinds. I’m still amazed at the perfectness of the ending; it’s bittersweet and yet, I can’t imagine it ending any other way. Love!

Who Should Read It? If you like well-developed, realistic characters, read this book. If you like mystery, magic, science fiction, or fantasy (and even if you don’t like any of those), read this book. If you are looking for characters and a story to carry you through a series, read this book. Trust me, just read this book! Well, start with the first and second books, and then read this book!

REVIEW: Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff

Title: Frozen in Time

Author: Mitchell Zuckoff Website Twitter Facebook

Publisher: Harper

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Pages: 416

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Two harrowing crashes . . . A vanished rescue plane . . . A desperate fight for life in a frozen, hostile land . . . The quest to solve a seventy-year-old mystery

The author of the smash New York Times bestseller Lost in Shangri-Ladelivers a gripping true story of endurance, bravery, ingenuity, and honor set in the vast Arctic wilderness of World War II and today.

On November 5, 1942, a U.S. cargo plane on a routine flight slammed into the Greenland ice cap. Four days later, a B-17 on the search-and-rescue mission became lost in a blinding storm and also crashed. Miraculously, all nine men on the B-17 survived. The U.S. military launched a second daring rescue operation, but the Grumman Duck amphibious plane sent to find the men flew into a severe storm and vanished.

In this thrilling adventure, Mitchell Zuckoff offers a spellbinding account of these harrowing disasters and the fate of the survivors and their would-be saviors. Frozen in Time places us at the center of a group of valiant airmen fighting to stay alive through 148 days of a brutal Arctic winter by sheltering from subzero temperatures and vicious blizzards in the tail section of the broken B-17 until an expedition headed by famed Arctic explorer Bernt Balchen attempts to bring them to safety.

But that is only part of the story that unfolds in Frozen in Time. In present-day Greenland, Zuckoff joins the U.S. Coast Guard and North South Polar—a company led by the indefatigable dreamer Lou Sapienza, who worked for years to solve the mystery of the Duck’s last flight—on a dangerous expedition to recover the remains of the lost plane’s crew.

Drawing on intensive research and Zuckoff ’s firsthand account of the dramatic 2012 expedition, Frozen in Time is a breathtaking blend of mystery, adventure, heroism, and survival. It is also a poignant reminder of the sacrifices of our military personnel and their families—and a tribute to the important, perilous, and often-overlooked work of the U.S. Coast Guard.

First Thoughts: How did I not know any of this happened? Come on past history teachers! The struggle those men went through on the tundra of Greenland is amazing and somewhat difficult to even comprehend. Eye-opening!

This is definitely a nonfiction book. Whereas Unbroken felt like a story, this felt like history...but not necessarily in a bad way. I learned A LOT in this book. Did you know any of this even happened? I had no idea Greenland was even involved in WWII let alone a base for the United States. And the men whose planes crashed? I couldn’t survive for two days out in that cold with no food and they did it for over one hundred. Insane!

I say this book is nonfiction because well, it is, but also because there are a lot of facts, dates, and people’s names. I constantly found myself rereading, flipping back to an earlier chapter, and stopping to think. The story focuses on two plane crashes in the past, the people trying to rescue them, and then jumps to the present where researchers are still searching for them. It’s just a lot to keep track of. That’s what stopped it from being a “story” to me. I never felt fully connected to any of the people (characters?) because the story’s point of view so often changed. In Unbroken, it’s Louie’s story the entire way; the reader is bound to him through reading his experiences. In Frozen in Time I was in awe of these men, but I couldn’t really keep them all straight, not that Zuckoff didn’t try to constantly remind the reader who is who.

I do think this is an important read because it really opens your eyes to the history that’s out there. Our textbooks in high school and college can only teach us so much. Frozen in Time left me questioning about the past; what other events happened that the majority of society has no idea about? For example, did you know that the military branches are still searching for soldiers MIA from WWII, Vietnam, and Korea? I had no idea, but I do now. I love a book that opens my eyes and teaches me something new - Frozen in Time definitely did both!

Final Thoughts: Not quite as life-changing as Unbroken (can anything ever be?), but an interesting nonfiction read that introduces the reader to a historical past completely  unheard of before...at least for me.

Who Should Read It? If you like nonfiction, if you like history, if you like interesting WWII stories, give this book a read. It’s definitely fact-heavy but the writing carries the reader along quite nicely. Adults may appreciate Frozen in Time more than teens, but I think a history-buff young adult reader can get equally immersed.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Sequels I Can't Wait to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is: Top Ten Sequels I Can’t Wait to Get my Hands On

I am a series lover. When you find characters you love, it’s so nice to continue their stories book after book, although sometimes those stories don’t continue quite the way I’d like them too. Honestly, I am a little overwhelmed by the amount of series I’m hooked on right now, but here are the ones I absolutely cannot wait to keep reading:

                                

1. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Obsessed! That’s pretty much the word to describe how I feel about this series. Completely obsessed! June 10th is WAY too far away!

2. Champion by Marie Lu - I’m so excited for the end to this series, and yet, at the same time I don’t want it to end (see Allegiant). And, Marie Lu put out some teasers that won’t make readers happy. Am I prepared for an unhappy ending to June and Day’s story? I’m not so sure I’m prepared for this one yet.

3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth - I know, I know. This book released two weeks ago and I still haven’t read it. I’m just not emotionally ready for this. I don’t want this series to end. I need a weekend with absolutely nothing to do so I can devote the right amount of love, attention, and tears to the end of a beyond-fantastic series.

      

4. Split Second by Kasie West - Pivot Point so surprised me in a completely blew-me-away fashion. I went in looking for a fun, quick read, and instead, found a series I can’t wait to continue. Parallel worlds done right!

5. The One by Kiera Cass - This series completely took me by surprise and I can’t wait for May 6th….ahhh so far away! Please choose Maxon, please choose Maxon, please choose Maxon!

6. Born of Deception by Teri Brown- Loved Born of Illusion (cemented my guilty pleasure of magic in stories) and am intrigued to see where Anna’s story will lead her next. And, of course, more Cole can’t hurt either.

7. Unravel Me/Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi - I know I’m way behind in this series. I loved Shatter Me, but for some reason I haven’t continued on. Plus, I hear there’s Warner love in Unravel Me, and I just don’t know if I’m mentally ready for that yet.

   

8. Just One Year by Gayle Forman- After finishing Just One Day, I immediately placed Just One Year on hold. I need to hear Willem’s side of the story. Does he still love “Lulu”? Is this a happy-ever-after story? I’m okay if it isn’t, I just need to know.

9. Cress by Marissa Meyer - Love love love this series! I can’t wait to see how Meyer twists Rapunzel’s story. Plus, I need some more Wolf and Prince Kai.

10. Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau - I think i’m going to like this one even more than the first. I love “fight the power” stories for some reason.